Elliott Linstrum spends the summer at Fenway Park

Published 6:53 pm, Wednesday, January 9, 2013

Photo: Contributed Photo

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The legendary Fenway Park was Eliot Linstrum's "office during the 2012 major league baseball season. The New Milford High graduate worked on the Fenway grounds crew. 2012
Courtesy of the Linstrum family

The legendary Fenway Park was Eliot Linstrum's "office during the 2012 major league baseball season. The New Milford High graduate worked on the Fenway grounds crew. 2012
Courtesy of the Linstrum family

Photo: Contributed Photo

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Eliot Linstrum, a graduate of New Milford High School and former Green Wave baseball player, worked this summer on the Fenway Park grounds crew. 2012
Courtesy of the Linstrum family

Eliot Linstrum, a graduate of New Milford High School and former Green Wave baseball player, worked this summer on the Fenway Park grounds crew. 2012
Courtesy of the Linstrum family

Photo: Contributed Photo

Elliott Linstrum spends the summer at Fenway Park

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One could say Elliot Linstrum of New Milford gave up spending his summers on the golf course in 2012 for the more lively realm of a baseball park.

Elliot enjoyed the good fortune of landing jobs during the summers of 2010 and 2011, respectively, at the world-class Quaker Ridge and Winged Foot golf clubs in Mamaroneck, N.Y.

As a former standout for NMHS' Green Wave baseball team, Elliot then landed a job last summer plying his burgeoning skills at New England's baseball jewel, Fenway Park.

Elliot spent his days keeping the regional baseball landmark in top shape.

The Red Sox didn't enjoy the best of seasons,but it was the 100th anniversary of Fenway Park, which received plenty of attention and hosted a number of activities to commemorate the historic milestone.

Often starting his work day at 6 a.m. and working until the games were over, Elliot was involved in all aspects of field maintenance; laying out the pattern(s) in the field, setting up and breaking down batting practice, as well as making other preparations to the field for special events such as the 4th of July fireworks display.

He also lent a hand converting the field to host the AS-Roma vs. Liverpool soccer exhibition game, as well as for Pink Floyd and Bruce Springsteen concerts.

Elliot explained the non-baseball events often required replacing major pieces of the playing field in one or two days in order to return the field to baseball readiness, while also accommodating specific requests from players as to how their piece of the field should be prepared (grass height or infield hardness, etc.).

Working all day before the games and quickly between innings during the games, the mostly unseen grounds team makes sure the field looks as good on fans' HDTV as it plays for the team.

The internship officially ran from mid-May through mid-August, when he made his return to Storrs for his final year at UConn.

What the future holds for Elliott is an open question, as it is for most college seniors.

He will, for sure, have lots more to tell than the typical student for how he spent his college summers.